February 1, 2010 at 5:04 pm (Anxiety, BizPsych, CEO, Centering, Critical Incident Stress Management/Debriefing, Employee Assistance Programs (EAP), Leadership, Managed Behavioral Health Care, Management, Meditation, Mines and Associates, Parenting, Psychology of Performance, Stress management, Supervisor, The MINES Team, Tips, Work Performance, business psychology, depression, education)
Tags: business, business psychology, colorado, Corporate Culture, Employee Assistance Program, employee assistance programs, Managed Behavioral Health Care, managed care, MINES & Associates, Mines and Associates, MINES and Associates; Employees; Culture; Company Culture; Psychology;, psychology, Psychology of Performance, stress, Stress management, work, workplace
Sean White won the gold medal at the X games. How he did it was an amazing testimony to perseverance and facing the failure of his practice run. My description can not do service to how much pain he must have been in physically and how vulnerable he may have been psychologically (all of us would have been when you see the video). Please go to:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ygOIy7b9mR8
Sean White went back and did the same sequence again so he would not get a fear response. He succeeded the second time and went on to nail the sequence in his first run. That run was good enough for the gold medal.
This is a perfect example of the old cowboy psychology of getting back on your horse after falling off. We need to face our negative cognitions related to performance, learn how to relax and be centered and execute one more time.
Remember: I like you
Bob
Robert A. Mines, Ph.D
CEO & Psychologist
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January 27, 2010 at 7:31 pm (Uncategorized)
Tags: Behavioral Issues, Compassion Fatigue, Counseling, EAPs, stress, Therapy, Trauma
What has filled our eyes over the last 10 days of the Haitian people’s life challenges has been mind boggling. The fact that over ½ the buildings and homes were destroyed, over 150,000 people have died, and many more are buried in the rubble is just hard to believe. The assistance of so many countries and people from around the world is very touching. I thank everyone for their giving and caring.
But what about the children?
My wife’s and my church supports 3 orphanages in Haiti. Haiti had a huge number of unwanted and parentless children due to a long list of cultural and economic reasons, BEFORE the earthquake. Now after this horrific event, there are so many more children that need homes. Estimates are as high as 1 million children have lost one or both parents.
As I write this, the national news just announced they found today a woman alive after 15 days!!
Our pastor took 12 seminary students to Haiti to tour the church’s orphanages and teach them about dealing with the poor. They arrived 1 day before the earthquake. It took them almost a week to get home to the US via boats, motorcycles, walking, buses, and finally a plane out of the Dominican Republic. We were all blessed that our pastor, the seminary students, and all the children and care givers at our orphanages were not badly injured. There were some broken bones and some bruises, but overall we were very, very lucky.
But what about he children?
The 3 orphanages were badly damaged. It seems all the hard work and building and support that we have provided over the last 3 years was gone. But, this is not true. They still have each other. All of these children are a family at each of the orphanages, something they did not have prior to our church’s involvement. The goal of the aid workers has to be to get the families back to together.
But what about the Care Givers?
Compassion Fatigue is a very real issue for all the workers that are in Haiti trying to help the Haitians. Compassion Fatigue involves empathically connecting people going through the emotions of trauma, resulting in experiencing those emotions yourself.
MINES and Associates has programs that help people who deal with trauma on a daily basis such as doctors, nurses, police officers, and fire fighters to name just a few.
MINES and Associates also has EAP programs that provide counseling and therapy to help daily care
givers of our friends, family and loved ones.
To learn more about compassion fatigue and other behavioral issues, please check out our web site at www.minesandassociates.com for more information.
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January 19, 2010 at 8:39 am (Anxiety, BizPsych, CEO, Centering, Employee Assistance Programs (EAP), Leadership, Managed Behavioral Health Care, Management, Meditation, Psychology of Performance, Stress management, Supervisor, The MINES Team, Work Performance, business psychology, depression)
Tags: Stress management, eap, stress, employee assistance programs, behavioral health, Managed Behavioral Health Care, organizational development, MINES and Associates; Employees; Culture; Company Culture; Psychology;, Corporate Culture, MINES & Associates, Employee Assistance Program, business psychology, workplace, Psychology of Performance, Managed Behavioral Care
How are you doing with your goals and intentions for the new year? At this point, the enthusiasm for the new year may be starting to slip due to unexpected events interfering, not enough “buffer” built into the execution plan, perfectionistic beliefs or all or none thinking sabotaging your decisions to execute, old thought patterns and self-limiting beliefs becoming the default again. These are normal experiences resulting in more of the same unless they are persistently challenged.
It is time to evaluate the initial start and make refinements in your goals, plan and thinking. Worst case; remember 10 percent of something is better than 90% of nothing when it comes to making change and performing better.
Have a day filled with loving kindness, compassion, sympathetic joy, equanimity and impeccable sobriety,
Robert A. Mines, Ph.D.
CEO and Psychologist
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January 13, 2010 at 3:42 pm (Employee Assistance Programs (EAP), Mines and Associates, Tips)
Tags: Employee Assistance Program, employee assistance programs, MINES & Associates
Welcome To:
All of the new client organizations that have joined MINES this January:
Arizona Sheet Metal Trade Trust Fund – this organization is comprised of labor and management that have expertise in such areas as fabrication and installation of architectural sheet metal, kitchen equipment and ducts for heating and air conditioning systems in residential and commercial building.
Colorado Health Foundation – works to make Colorado the healthiest state in the nation by increasing the number of Coloradans with health insurance, ensuring they have access to quality, coordinated care and encouraging healthy living.
Elbert County – Elbert County encompasses 1,854 sq miles and has a population of approximately 22,000. Nestled in the scenic areas on the east side of Denver and Colorado Springs, it has become one of the nation’s fastest growing counties.
Holland & Hart – is the largest law firm in the Mountain West with over 400 attorneys in 15 offices in 7 states. The firm delivers integrated legal solutions to regional, national and international clients from emerging businesses to Fortune 500 corporations.
Las Vegas Valley Water District – partners with organizations and agencies to provide reliable, quality water, ensuring the sustainability of the desert community and serving their customers responsibly.
Northwest Pump & Equipment – was founded in 1959 with branches in Portland, Seattle and Spokane, WA. The company operates in four distinct divisions: Petroleum Equipment Sales, Industrial Equipment Sales, Vehicle Care and Service.
Pinon Management – Founded in 1979, Piñon has served as Colorado’s leader in innovative service models and person-directed care. Serving nearly 120 homes as manager or consultant, Pinon has become recognized for serving all types of individuals needing long-term care, assisted living, short-term rehabilitation and wellness services, and notably developing unique programs for many special populations.
Stillwater Mining Company – One of the world’s leading producers of platinum group metals (PGMs) and the only significant primary producer of palladium in the Western Hemisphere
New Look to Online Work/Life:
If you have not visited our online work/life center in a while, take a look at the new programs that we have added: Featured Articles, Solution Centers, 10 to 15 minute Videos, Browse Topics, Locators. There are Tax Forms under the Financial icon and Legal forms under the Legal Icon. Mid-January, we will be adding additional videos. Self-assessment tools are available for the “Reluctant EAPers.”
If you have never tried out our online services, here is the video link to provide you with a short demo of the services that are available:
https://mines.personaladvantage.com/cms/newsletters/10206479/player.html
Need Help With Keeping Your New Year’s Resolutions?
Contact Your EAP!
Judy Braun
Peggy Hill
Britney Kirsch
Account Management
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January 4, 2010 at 11:10 am (Uncategorized)
Tags: behavioral health, business psychology, children, chronic pain, Corporate Culture, Employee Assistance Program, employee assistance programs, employee recognition, humor in the workplace, Managed Behavioral Health Care, MINES and Associates; Employees; Culture; Company Culture; Psychology;, Psychology of Performance, Stress management, Tips, workplace
Some of us don’t make any resolutions because of fear they won’t be kept. Others make new ones every year and follow them like clockwork. Most of us are somewhere in between. No matter what group you belong to, here is a top ten list of New Years Resolutions that I discovered on About.com
1. Spend More Time with Family and Friends
Recent polls conducted by General Nutrition Centers, Quicken, and others shows that more than 50% of Americans vow to appreciate loved ones and spend more time with family and friends this year. Make plans to meet up with friends for an evening of comaraderie at a favorite restaurant or take the family to a popular place for family fun. Work shouldn’t always come first!
2. Fit in Fitness
The evidence is in for fitness. Regular exercise has been associated with more health benefits than anything else known to man. Studies show that it reduces the risk of some cancers, increases longevity, helps achieve and maintain weight loss, enhances mood, lowers blood pressure, and even improves arthritis. In short, exercise keeps you healthy and makes you look and feel better.
3. Tame the Bulge
Over 66 percent of adult Americans are considered overweight or obese by recent studies, so it is not surprising to find that weight loss is one of the most popular New Year’s resolutions. Setting reasonable goals and staying focused are the two most important factors in sticking with a weight loss program, and the key to success for those millions of Americans who made a New Year’s commitment to shed extra pounds.
4. Quit Smoking
If you have resolved to make this the year that you stamp out your smoking habit, over-the-counter availability of nicotine replacement therapy now provides easier access to proven quit-smoking aids. Even if you’ve tried to quit before and failed, don’t let it get you down. On average, smokers try about four times before they quit for good. Start enjoying the rest of your smoke-free life! Locally, there are a variety of free support services, hotlines and smoking cessation classes to help you kick the smoking habit.
5. Enjoy Life More
Given the hectic, stressful lifestyles of millions of Americans, it is no wonder that “enjoying life more” has become a popular resolution in recent years. It’s an important step to a happier and healthier you! Consider a holistic healing centers for products designed to bring balance to your body, mind and soul. Or just get out and try something new! Take up a new hobby or try your hand at skiing. Go to a theater performance, or head to the local spa.
6. Quit Drinking
While many people use the New Year as an incentive to finally stop drinking, most are not equipped to make such a drastic lifestyle change all at once. Many heavy drinkers fail to quit cold turkey but do much better when they taper gradually, or even learn to moderate their drinking. If you have decided that you want to stop drinking, there is a world of help and support available. There are also a number of treatment-based programs, as well as support groups for families of alcoholics.
7. Get Out of Debt
Was money a big source of stress in your life last year? Join the millions of Americans who have resolved to spend this year getting a handle on their finances. It’s a promise that will repay itself many times over in the year ahead.
8. Learn Something New
Have you vowed to make this year the year to learn something new? Perhaps you are considering a career change, want to learn a new language, or just how to fix your computer? Whether you take a course or read a book, you’ll find education to be one of the easiest, most motivating New Year’s resolutions to keep. Local YMCA’s offer great recreational training for beginners of all ages. Most local colleges and universities offer distance and adult education programs.
9. Help Others
A popular, non-selfish New Year’s resolution, volunteerism can take many forms. Whether you choose to spend time helping out at your local library, mentoring a child, or building a house, there are many nonprofit volunteer organizations that could really use your help. Or if your time is really in short supply, maybe you can at least find it in you to donate the furniture, clothing and other household items that you no longer need, rather than leaving them out by the curb to fill up our landfills.
10. Get Organized
On just about every New Year resolution top ten list, organization can be a very reasonable goal. Whether you want your home organized enough that you can invite someone over on a whim, or your office organized enough that you can find the stapler when you need it, these tips and resources should get you started on the way to a more organized life.
Ian Holtz
Sales Executive
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December 29, 2009 at 5:04 pm (Anxiety, BizPsych, CEO, Employee Assistance Programs (EAP), Leadership, Managed Behavioral Health Care, Management, Meditation, Mines and Associates, Psychology of Performance, Stress management, Supervisor, The MINES Team, Tips, Work Performance, business psychology, education)
Tags: behavioral health, business psychology, Corporate Culture, eap, Employee, Employee Assistance Program, employee assistance programs, employee recognition, finance, Managed Behavioral Care, Managed Behavioral Health Care, managed care, managed mental health care, Mines and Associates, MINES and Associates; Employees; Culture; Company Culture; Psychology;, Psychology of Performance, recession, Return on Investment, ROI, stress, Stress management, Tips, Wellness, work
As the new year approaches, this is often a time for people and organizations to review their performanace in the past year. How did you do compared to the goals you set? What did you do? What did you accomplish? What factors are interdependent with your success? What factors were interdependent with under performance or failure? What psychological autopsy do you need to do on the outcomes that were less than optimal as well as the successes? This might include a review of your assumptions, skills, systems, strategies, tactics and the “messiness” factors associated with resources, people, external events, internal events, resiliency and execution. The adherence and relapse information is also relevant on this point. The outcome is to learn what you can and move on in 2010 with a higher probability of success. Where your mind goes, the energy goes…so set goals that are worthy of your attention and your organization’s attention.
Have a Happy New Year filled with prosperity, optimal health and equanimity.
Robert A. Mines, Ph.D.
CEO & Psychologist
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December 18, 2009 at 3:43 pm (Uncategorized)
Tags: eap, Employee, Employee Assistance Program, managed mental health care, Mines and Associates
Benefit Fair Finale
Thanks to all of you who hosted us for our 45 benefit fairs. It was enjoyable to spend time with you and your employees. We sure did give away a lot of bears!
Welcome To:
Insurance Management Services and its client companies who joined us on December 1. IMS was formed in June 1983 with a mission of offering unequalled service for the self insured health benefits market. They are locally owned and operated exclusively out of Amarillo, Texas.
Congratulations to:
Box Studios – Lynn Coit, principal and founding partner, who received the 2009 Woman of Vision Benefactor Award from the Colorado Real Estate Women for using her professional skills to serve her philanthropic interests.
The Rise of the Tide: New Findings
A study from Harris, Rothenberg International (HRI), takes a close look at the change reflected in the work environment in 2008 and 2009, analyzing the changes that are indicative of today’s economic environment. The report was developed following an intensive review of EAPs and work-life balance queries. The report concludes that the common thread linking nearly all workplace programs and queries is the economy and its effect on finances.
The study determined that calls to EAPs in the past year have increased in intensity and need. In 2008, HRI reports, there was a nearly 10 percent increase in the number of calls coming into EAP counselors overall, with a corresponding increase in the number of queries (13 percent) about financial services. Additionally, work-life balance calls also became increasingly focused on general financial assistance, including information about and referrals for mortgage assistance, rent subsidies, child and adult care subsidies, prescription assistance programs and others.
During the past year, there have been alarming trends in the intensity of callers’ duress and need for EAP and work-life balance services, specifically for counseling and emotional support, emanating from difficult financial situations. EAP counselors indicate that employees say they are working more and that people are more pessimistic. People who have lost their jobs or fear losing their jobs are calling for information about and referrals for career consulting, resume preparation, low-cost health insurance and other related needs. And statistics show that there have been increases in 401(k) hardship withdrawals.
Judy Braun
Peggy Hill
Britney Kirsch
Account Management
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November 24, 2009 at 1:23 pm (Uncategorized)
Tags: colorado, Employee Assistance Program, Health, MINES & Associates, Mines and A, Mines and Associates, MINES and Associates; Employees; Culture; Company Culture; Psychology;, Wellness
Here at MINES, we are always looking for ways to fill our bodies with wholesome foods to keep ourselves alert and healthy. One of the ways to combat stress and fatigue is with a balanced diet. With Thanksgiving only a couple of days away, the holiday season is in full force, which means that there will be generous amounts of delicious food at family gatherings and holiday parties – unfortunately, a lot of this food can be unhealthy. I do all of the Thanksgiving Day cooking in my family, which means that I have to pay attention to sugar content for a few diabetics, cholesterol content for my grandparents, fat content for my significant other, and sodium content for my mother. Needless to say, I’m always on the lookout for tasty recipea that are healthful for all. Considering most Thanksgiving meals include lots of butter, sodium, and sugar, it’s easy to see how keeping track of healthy habits can fall to the wayside.
Ultimately, the holidays are not an easy time to be maintaining a diet, but health and wellness don’t need to be put on the back burner simply because it’s Thanksgiving. The reality is most of our tables are filled with whole ingredients like turkey, vegetables, and fruits. The key to maintaining those rigid diets over the holidays is to simply adjust cooking technique and look for balanced recipes. Also, avoiding boxed and processed ingredients is a great way to ensure that the holidays stay healthy – quality control is extremely important when it comes to watching what we eat. Prepackaged foods often contain preservatives, large amounts of sodium, and chemically-based ingredients that can leave people feeling bloated and unhealthy.
In my quest to find some wholesome recipes for Thanksgiving, I found that EatingWell.com had a wonderful breakdown of nutrition facts, as well as nutrition profiles (i.e. labeling recipes diabetes appropriate, low sodium, etc.). The website also has structured menus and budget-friendly wine recommendations. Whether you are counting calories or just trying to make sure that your holidays don’t weigh you down, these recipes will help you make a fantastic meal that you can really feel good about. Visit http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes_menus/collections/healthy_thanksgiving_recipes to find delicious variations on sweet potatoes, soups, turkey and poultry, stuffing, and of course, desserts. Making sure that we continue to remember what keeps us healthy will make the holiday season something to enjoy. Have a wonderful holiday!
Sarah Kinnel
Marketing Assistant
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November 20, 2009 at 10:34 am (Uncategorized)
Tags: holiday stress, minesandassociates
It is the Friday before Thanksgiving, less than 1 week away from the food, the parades, the football and most importantly, the visitng with friends and family.
I can smell the aroma of turkey, ham and pie as well as hear all the activities running through the house. And don’t forget the dogs following every step you make in the kitchen waiting for that scrap of food that just happens to fall on the floor.
It is the end of Fall and in many parts of the country orange and yellow leaves are still dropping from the trees. After dinner activities will include walks to exercise off some of that great food. In other parts of the country, such as Denver where MINES & Associates is based, we have already had 2 heavy snows; 10 and 20 inches each. Which brings me to some traditions. While many people head off to start their Christmas shopping the day after Thanksgiving, also known as “Black Friday”, many of us have another tradition…..head up the mountain for the first skiing and boarding of the season. Most of the Rocky Mountain ski resorts are open for this long weekend. Yes, I can smell the fresh scent of snow, the clean brisk air of the mountains and see the beautiful blue ski and white snow covered mountains.
No matter what the activity or tradition you are going to follow this next weekend, please think of the people that are less fortunate than us. Provide some food this weekend to your local food bank or donate some money to help provide food for all.
And last, this is the begining of a fun and exciting, yet hectic time of the year. We all try to do too much and easily start running around in frantic style. Take a few minutes to check out the MINES & Associates web site www.minesandassociates.com for ideas on how to cope with these hectic holidays. We have lots of ideas that will help make the holidays go more smoothly for you and your family. After all, the objective is to enjoy the holidays, not be stressed out over them.
Happy Holidays!
Allan Benson
apbenson@minesandassciates.com
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